How to Portion Control With Grown-Up Bento Boxes

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It's easy to go overboard at lunch. Whether it's eating out every day, or packing a sandwich on white bread with a glob of mayonnaise. But bento boxes, a popular lunch box type in Japan, can help with thoughtful food choices and portions thanks to their divided container design.

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Having multiple sections in a bento can be an easy reminder to eat a variety of foods, especially different colors. These veggie and tofu packed summer rolls combine with fresh berries and green beans for a rainbow lunch. If your bento isn't divided into multiple sections, you can easily use silicone cupcake liners as reusable dividers for portions.

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Getting a portion-conscious sized bento can really help with making good lunch choices. Even if you choose to have a slightly indulgent food, only storing it in a small area of your lunch box will prevent over eating. This sauce-heavy soba noodle salad is delicious, but potentially a large portion could be high in calories and sodium. By choosing a smaller serving it helps to not accidentally overload on certain foods.

We especially love the Built Gourmet Bento for an adult lunch box thanks to its easy changing dividers, full cutlery set, and built-in ice pack. Pre-made and frozen dumplings can easily be steamed or pan-fried the morning of before throwing into a bento box. Pair with another Asian favorite, edamame pods, and get a sweet treat from strawberries.

By choosing the right size and style bento box for yourself, and filling it with healthy and delicious food, you're guaranteed to get excited about lunch every day.

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